A judge on Monday ordered ride-hailing giants Uber and Lyft to treat their California drivers as employees instead of independent contractors, a shift that would guarantee benefits like overtime, sick leave and expense reimbursement for workers who make up much of the freewheeling gig economy. But the ruling from San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan… Continue reading California Judge Rules Uber, Lyft Drivers Are Employees
Tag: independent contractors
Postmates Couriers are Eligible for Unemployment Benefits, Rules New York Appeals Court
New York’s Court of Appeals has reinstated a 2015 decision determining that couriers for on-demand delivery app Postmates should be classified as employees, making them eligible for unemployment insurance at a time when the U.S. is seeing record job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2015 decision by the state’s Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board… Continue reading Postmates Couriers are Eligible for Unemployment Benefits, Rules New York Appeals Court
Gig Workers Face the Spread of the New Coronavirus with No Safety Net
Some workers here who provide on-demand rides and delivery services, but are independent contractors without many protections, are bracing for the spread of the novel coronavirus. Drivers have been scrubbing down their cars “inch by inch” between rides at local airport parking lots, according to Edan Alva, who drives full-time for Lyft in the Bay… Continue reading Gig Workers Face the Spread of the New Coronavirus with No Safety Net
Uber Urges Court to End California Law that Gives Gig Workers Benefits
Uber Technologies Inc. wants to smother what the company calls California’s “Frankenstein” gig-worker protection law before state officials turn it loose. Uber and Postmates Inc. are scheduled Friday to ask a federal judge in Los Angeles to block enforcement of the landmark law, Assembly Bill 5, that would convert gig-economy workers from independent contractors to… Continue reading Uber Urges Court to End California Law that Gives Gig Workers Benefits
Gig Economy Bills Move Forward in Other States, After California Clears the Way
California was the first state to challenge tech companies such as Uber and Lyft with bold laws meant to reshape the gig economy by converting workers into employees. And now a handful of other states are following its lead. Legislators in three other states with Democratic majorities, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, are considering… Continue reading Gig Economy Bills Move Forward in Other States, After California Clears the Way
California Court Says Truckers Exempt from ‘Gig Worker’ Law
California’s new “gig worker” law does not apply to independent truck drivers because they are subject to federal statute, a Los Angeles judge ruled, handing a victory to one industry that is challenging a state effort to clamp down on labor abuses. The law, known as AB5 and which took effect on Jan. 1, makes… Continue reading California Court Says Truckers Exempt from ‘Gig Worker’ Law
Uber and Postmates Inc. Claim California Gig Worker Bill is Unconstitutional in New Lawsuit
Postmates and Uber have filed a complaint in California federal district court, alleging that a bill limiting how companies can label workers as independent contractors is unconstitutional. The complaint, which includes two gig workers as co-plaintiffs, was filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, days before Assembly Bill 5 (AB-5) is due to go into… Continue reading Uber and Postmates Inc. Claim California Gig Worker Bill is Unconstitutional in New Lawsuit
California’s Gig Worker Law Is Forcing Small Businesses to Rethink Staffing
A California law that makes it harder for companies to treat workers as independent contractors takes effect January 1. Ahead of that date, small businesses in and outside the state are rethinking their staffing. The law puts tough restrictions on who can be independent contractors or freelancers rather than employees. Supporters say it addresses inequities… Continue reading California’s Gig Worker Law Is Forcing Small Businesses to Rethink Staffing
Judge Balks at Making Uber Drivers Employees, for Now
Uber Technologies Inc. beat back an aggressive bid to force it to treat California drivers as employees, but a judge’s ruling may allow a long-running fight over pay and benefits to gain traction in 2020. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen declined Monday to order Uber to instantly convert drivers in its home state from contractors… Continue reading Judge Balks at Making Uber Drivers Employees, for Now
Uber, Lyft Unveil Ballot Initiative to Counter California Gig-Economy Law
Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc. and other ride-share and on-demand companies in California said Tuesday they would submit a ballot initiative that would alter a statewide law intending to reclassify contract workers as full-time employees. The companies are funding the measure, called the Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act, aiming to get it on the… Continue reading Uber, Lyft Unveil Ballot Initiative to Counter California Gig-Economy Law